LOWELL -- Kenneth Lavallee's abrupt decision to retire as the Lowell police superintendent at the end of the month comes at a time when the 35-year law-enforcement veteran is riding high due to a reduction in the city's violent crime rate -- especially homicides -- but also facing an unusually high number of unresolved and potentially explosive internal issues.

The 57-year-old's announcement stunned members of his command staff late Tuesday, who knew he wouldn't serve out the term of his current contract which expires Dec. 31. Most, however, expected Lavallee to resign mid-year.

That was the initial plan. During a meeting with City Manager Bernie Lynch last Thursday, Lavallee told his boss he'd retire around the end of the fiscal year in June. Lavallee was unsuccessful in reaching out to the manager the very next day to inform him of a sudden change of plans: To resign effective March 29. Lavallee finally conveyed that to Lynch on Monday, and implied it was due to conditions set by his next employer.

Lavallee, who earns $159,700 a year, declined to say where he's working next. He did say, however, he is not moving from his Chelmsford home.

Before his first shift in Lowell on Jan. 4, 1984, on a downtown beat, Lavallee worked in both the Carlisle and Manchester (N.H.) Police Departments, and was security chief at the former St. John's Hospital in Lowell. He also worked at St. John's with Ed Davis, the former Lowell superintendent he replaced in 2006.

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"It is certainly with bittersweet emotion that I leave the Lowell Police Department, and it's not a decision I have taken lightly," Lavallee said. "But change is good, both for me and the organization. New blood is never a bad thing, and neither are new ways of thinking."

When Lavallee became interim chief in December 2006, that year the city saw 13 homicides, many related to either drugs or gang activity. Lavallee dutifully boasts today that come this April two years will have passed without a single killing.

"That is pretty significant," he said. "I attribute that to the Police Department's community engagement and the community's trust in the Police Department."

More deeply, however, other anti-crime initiatives focusing on drugs, traffic enforcement and incarcerating suspects wanted on warrants are closely intertwined.

For instance, one reason Lavallee has stepped up the enforcement of traffic laws is because of its direct impact on thugs who previously wouldn't have thought twice about carrying a gun in their car.

"This is happening a lot less frequently because they know we're out there looking for bad drivers," Lavallee said.

The result? Fewer incidents involving guns.

But in recent months the Police Department has also generated headlines for a series of internal issues that could produce serious liability consequences for the city.

For instance, investigators from Middlesex District Attorney Gerard Leone's office are still probing the January death of a 31-year-old Lowell woman in police custody. The woman had been arrested on a prostitution charge and died in the Police Department's cell block.

More recently, one of five men arrested in a melee outside the SAC Club was later found to have a loaded 9 mm semi-automatic handgun in his coat pocket at the Lowell Police Station booking window. That incident remains under investigation by the department.

In another high-profile case, the Police Department has completed its probe of Officer Daniel Otero on alleged sexual-harassment charges, and Lavallee said the report is under review by himself and members of his command staff.

And last Thursday, the Police Department for the second time in as many months placed officer Timothy Golden on paid administrative leave, and took away his service revolver, for allegedly sending threatening texts to Otero. Otero is now in a relationship with Golden's ex-wife. Golden was previously under suspension after his ex-wife received a restraining order against him. That issue has since been resolved.

Golden is a school-resource officer at the high school, where his ex-wife is employed as a gym teacher. Another school resource officer, David Pender, just returned to work after being cleared of domestic-assault charges against his wife.

Asked in early January whether a shakeup of the SRO complement is needed based on recent events, Lavallee said:

"We still have to wait for court proceedings against Officer Pender to be completed. There is also more (internal) inquiry that needs to happen. So I'll reserve further comment for now. Any officer accused of misconduct will be thoroughly investigated and scrutinized, and that's what we intend to do."

Pressed on the matter again Wednesday, Lavallee said the matter remains under review. But The Sun has learned that Sgt. Jack Dolan, who oversees the SROs, will retire effective March 14. Lavallee, however, said Dolan's retirement is not related to recent events involving some of his officers.

Lavallee downplayed the personnel issues as having anything to do with his decision to resign sooner than later.

"I don't think there's ever been a time in the history of this organization that there hasn't been issues like this," said Lavallee.

Meanwhile, Lynch could name an interim chief within two weeks. Inside track candidates for that job are the two deputies, Arthur Ryan Jr., and Deborah Friedl, both of whom are expected to be strong candidates for the permanent job.

The department also has a respected posse of captains. They are Randall Humphrey, Thomas Kennedy, James McPadden, Thomas Meehan, Raymond "Kelly" Richardson, Kevin Stavely, Kevin Sullivan, William Taylor, and Jonathan Webb.

Those captains viewed as serious candidates for the superintendent's job include Kennedy, Richardson, Sullivan and Taylor.

Another likely candidate to replace Lavallee permanently will be Robert DeMoura. DeMoura, a Chelmsford resident, is a former Lowell police captain who was hired as the Fitchburg police chief in 2008.

Lynch was scheduled to attend the Police Department's command staff meeting Thursday morning. Lynch said he will meet with interim superintendent candidates over the next several days, with an eye toward making a decision late next week or early the following week.

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